Google, and then Hillary Clinton, called on China to stop censoring the web and open a transparent investigation into all the hacking that's been emanating from the country. They responded this morning, in a way that was not entirely warm.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said critics should stop making "groundless accusations." He added that "the US has criticised China's policies to administer the internet, and insinuated that China restricts internet freedom," according to the BBC. "This runs contrary to the facts and is harmful to China-US relations."

State run media responded even less diplomatically. The Global Times said "the US campaign for uncensored and free flow of information on an unrestricted internet is a disguised attempt to impose its values on other cultures in the name of democracy."

It's lucky no-one brought up Tibet.